The mystery of the girl
by seamoons
Summary: Remus Lupin fathers a baby but who's the mother and why can't it be known?
1. Chapter 1

Part One

He stood in the hospital, the baby in his arms, the little girl, so helpless, so innocent. He looked down at her in his arms, everything else didn't matter, he was totally immersed into the little girls face, every time she made a movement he recorded it in his mind, like it was the top story in his world for news. He smiled a bit as she pushed her hand up to his chin, looking briefly at him with her bright brown eyes, so like his. He took her hand in his, so that she didn't scratch him and also because he just wanted to feel her, even if her whole hand only wrapped around his little finger.

"She's so like you." a voice said from the woman in the hospital bed.

"Is she?" he replied, as if he couldn't see how she looked just like him and how gentle her personality was, just like his. "Yes." the voice said from the bed, nodding, her eyes welled as she watched them both standing at the end of the bed, sideways to her. He couldn't take his eyes off her, he was totally engaged in her personality. He'd do anything for her, anything at all, but he couldn't be her father, that was something he just couldn't be.

"I'm sorry, I'll try and visit." he said, placing the girl back in the little tank like cot the hospital had provided and covering her up cosily. He kissed his fingers and placed it on the girl's nose, running his finger through her hair once and then walking to the chair beside the bed. He put his coat on and then his scarf and gloves, leaning over the bed a little to kiss the girl in the bed's lips. He smiled a bit, "Well done, you did well. I'm just sorry." he nodded and exhaled a breath. "Right, I'll come again soon." he said, the girl nodded.

"I understand, Remus, don't worry." she said, some of her dark curls falling from her ponytail, and she turned away. Remus left, he was already out of the door by the time she was crying, he knew she would. He arrived back in his flat, putting his wand in the inside wand pocket of his jacket. He put his hand over his mouth, his eyes welling up and he sniffed, taking his hand away and looking up at the ceiling, taking a few deep breaths. He took his coat, scarf and gloves off and left them on the back of the chair, going into the kitchen and making himself a cup of tea. He didn't fancy going back to Hogwarts yet, and it was a good job that he didn't have to go, as it was half term.

He ate alone as usual, went to bed alone, and spent the next two days alone. He then decided to go back to the hospital, to see the situation as to when the two were going home. During the birth there had been some complications, so the Healers had wanted her to stay in for a few days afterwards. Remus arrived on the ward dressed pretty much as how he'd left a few days earlier. He walked in, kissing the girl's lips and then picking up their baby.

"When are you both leaving and where are you going to?" he asked her, not looking at her, but he didn't blame her, how could he blame her for getting pregnant? It took two to tango. He sat down on the edge of the bed facing the girl, but looking down at the little baby in his arms.

"I'm not sure." she said to him, watching them. "I did think maybe we could stay at your place, if you've got a spare room we could stay in there, we won't make a noise, except her, she might cry occasionally, but I won't, you won't know I'm around-"

"Course you can." he cut her off, "You can stay as long as you like, just don't tell anyone, as you say, to anyone else you muct be unknown." he said, looking at her as he said the conditions, "I'll answer the door, owls, get the shopping, you can do anything else except go outside." he said worriedly.

"Of course." she nodded, smiling a little at him, "Don't worry... Remus." she said.


	2. Chapter 2

Part two

'Don't worry' the words rang through his ears as they arrived home late the same evening as he had gone visiting. He carried the small carrycot in through the front door, which contained their tiny daughter. Remus placed it on the couch, getting down on both knees in front of his little girl and undoing the straps of the little 'baby chair' and getting her out. He put her on his shoulder, adjusting his hat as gently as he could, as if one touch of her skin and she'd break or something. He rubbed her back, making sure she was comfortable and her mother followed into the small flat.

"Its only a temporary arrangement." he said, referring to the flat. "I had a cottage but I couldn't keep it up, it was too expensive you see, so I have this place, which I can just about manage, with some bits of savings.

"I've got savings." she said, waiting hesitantly by the door after she'd closed it, her bag in both hands in front of her, watching over Remus and the baby.

"Its alright." he replied, "I won't be able to afford her, but I can just about manage you-"

"We'll pay for ourselves." she said, smiling a tiny bit at him, "Don't worry, Remus." she said, it was quickly becoming her most favorite phrase. He nodded and swallowed, going through to the kitchen and getting out the small basket he'd reserved for their daughter, something else had arrived in the wicker casing, but he'd removed it and it was a perfect size for a baby, especially when padded out with a big blanket which Remus himself had knitted for the baby especially during its mothers pregnancy. He placed her into it, she looked perfect, it would do for sleeping for now and she had her carry cot too. He'd not breached the subject of names yet, last time when she had first been born he'd approached it and there had been disagreements. He looked over at her, stood in the doorway.

"Do come in a little more, we need to discuss names." he said, thinking some over in his mind, "What abour Amour or Charity?" he suggested, they were ones she's suggested last time.

"You're serious?" she asked, nodding a little and moving to sit beside him, "I'm not so sure on those anymore." she added, "But I do like Charity, or Charis or Mandy." she said, some of the names he'd said last time. He smiled and shook his head.

"Why wouldn't we agree before and now we're picking each others?" he asked her, smirking a bit at her face as she smirked back.

"Probably the hormones and such." she said, smiling up at him, he nodded.

"Probably." he said, smiling a bit more and then looking more seriously, "I like Charis or Charity." he announced.

"Well that narrows it down." she said, nodding and thinking for a moment. "What about Amia."

"Aren't we going a bit oriental?" he asked, "I like it, but Charity Amia Lupin, it doesn't exactly follow the tradition does it? Remus Lupin and Amia Lupin..." she nodded with his words.

"I agree Remus, we'll go with Charity Lupin, unless you think Charis Lupin sounds better." she finalised.

"Charity." he decided, getting up and fetching their little Charity. He picked her up, lifting her up in front of him, her head automatically fell to her left side, he smiled. "Hello Miss Charity Lupin." he whispered, but she didn't stir. Little Charity just slept silently in her fathers arms, no area of concern that her head was unsupported. She just slept soundly. He smiled and placed her to his shoulder, where she buried her head into his body. He carried her into the living room, sitting back down and transfering her into a baby cradle so they both had a view.

"Hello Charity." her mother spoke softly, fiddling with the collar on Charity's white baby grow, flattening it out. "Its... its mum." she said, at first doubting her confidence.

"Hello mum." Remus said in a baby accent, which wasn't very good. He looked up and smiled a little at her mother for a second, who sniggered as she looked back at Remus. It was at this point the extraudinarily quiet baby awoke. Remus sighed and got up. "I'll go."

He went into the kitchen, finding the baby bottle he'd bought and filling the metal kettle to boil on the hob. He got out the forumla milk, getting ready as soon as the kettle boiled with a spoonful of powder ready on the work surface next to the bottle. Charity burbled and coughed and became restless. He cradled her against his shoulder, calming her down and remaining as calm as he could, bringing off good vibes to her, letting her know it was okay to feel hungry and she would be okay. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the kettle to boil and he filled the bottle with the hot water, putting the spoonful of powder into the bottle with it and stiring it around. He then put the lid on, all with one hand, and shook it with a finger over the hole. He then tested some in his mouth, it seemed okay but he didn't want to burn her. She was settling for a moment so Remus left it a second or two, the milk cooling quite quickly, as both powder and bottle had been at room temperature to start with. When Charity just couldn't take it anymore, he turned her back to the classic baby cradle position, placing the bottle teet into her little mouth and allowing her to suckle, which she did do hard and fast, the bottle drained quickly and within a few minutes she'd finished her nice drink and felt pretty full. Remus put the bottle on the work top and placed her back on his shoulder, putting a tea towel on his shoulder. He rubbed her back, patting it to wind her and she broke wind from both ends and sicked up a little on the tea towel. As he withdrew her from the shoulder he took the towel away, placing it on the side and replacing her to his shoulder. He continued to rub her back, knowing she liked it.

Remus walked slowly back into the living room, at first wondering where her mother had got to, but then hearing her in the guest bedroom and he followed her noises. He opened the door with his foot and watched her frantically unpack and sort everything so it was ready for the baby and herself.

"Its probably best she stays with you, you've got the best milk for her and she needs to bond with you as much as me." he said.

"Oh alright." she said, half listening half unpacking. He nodded, deciding to leave her to it and returned to the living room, sitting back down. He felt a bit awkward and uneasy about what to say.


	3. Chapter 3

Part Three

She came back through to him about 20 minutes later. Remus was sitting up on the couch, holding the baby in a sitting position on his lap, so Charity's back was against his chest and she was safe whilst he rubbed at his shoulder with the little baby cloth; she'd been sick over his shirt. Her mother smiled a little, just a hint from her lips, as the loosely supported baby sat on his lap like a rag doll.  
>"I'll take her." she smiled, walking up to the baby and picking her up under her arm pits, lifting Charity up to her chest and holding her, a lot like Remus liked to do.<br>"Thanks." he said distracted with his shirt a bit, "Got all the packing done?" he enquired, looking up for a split second now and then as he dabbled at his top.  
>"Yes thanks." she smiled at him. She felt like she wanted to mother him a bit, be his keeper, but she knew she couldn't, he might find it a bit odd, but it was odd anyway, neither of them really knew how to act around each other anymore, were they friends, lovers, person and keeper? They didn't know, but maybe time and morals would deal with that.<br>"Good." he replied to her answer, letting out a small sigh to signify he'd given up on his shirt, "I'm sure it will come out in the wash." he reassured himself and her a little, looking up to Charity and the mother of his child. He watched them together for a moment, as the mother watched her daughter and daughter lay in the position she'd been placed in, innocently getting on with her sleeping.

Remus got up, going through to the next room on the right, the kitchen, and he put some more water in the kettle, setting it on the hob to boil whilst he got everything else ready to make the tea. He then sat at the small table, which only had 2 places opposite the hob, and was set right against the wall due to its drop leaf capacity. He sat slightly slouched, his elbow on the table, his fingers in his hair, stairing at the hob. Chairty cried in the background but he didn't hear it, he was too far away in his own world. He snapped out of it when the kettle boiled, getting up and pouring the water into the pot with the tea, then left it to mash. He went to the doorway connecting the kitchen and living room, and folded his arms, watching mother and daughter practise breast feeding on the couch and smiling a little bit.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked, leaning his body against the side of the doorframe.

"Yes please." she smiled up at him in a glance, then returning to look at her daughter, watching her as she sucked to her hearts content. Remus nodded and went back to the tea, watching it, waiting for it to mash. When it was ready he brought two mugs into the living room and set them down on the small coffee table.  
>"There you go." he smiled, placing hers in front of where she was sitting and keeping his own in his hands. He sipped it occasionally as he sat there for about a minute in silence. "What are you planning on doing for dinner?" he asked her, "I've got a couple of pumpkin pasties, I could cook both and we could eat together... I don't mind." he suggested, hoping she was okay with that or maybe she'd prefer to be more seperate?<br>"Sure, it sounds good." she nodded, glancing up at him with a smile. She pulled Charity away from her and covered herself up, Remus took Charity off her, so she could sort herself properly and he winded her, after which she quickly fell to sleep. Remus placed her in his arms, he looked up at her mother, he smiled a bit into her face, she smiled back.


	4. Chapter 4

Part Four

He brought the two pasties to the table, placing them opposite each other, the baby in its little basket on the work surface of the kitchen. Her hand lay on the table, as if it was waiting to be touched, Remus looked her in the eye a moment and smiled, he took his knife and fork and tucked into his pasty. She followed him after a second or two, doing the same.  
>"This is lovely, Remus." she smiled, munching on a piece of pumpkin and pastry that covered the dinner.<br>"Thanks, they're from the small shop, you know, pie shop and such, I know the lady, she gives me discount." he explained, shrugging as he ate his meal. 

Once finished, the pair left the washing up and continued to relax in the living room, both sipping at a glass of red wine. Charity had been moved into the living room, poised on the coffee table in her basket, with her hands above her head, touching her little miniature white hat. Remus smiled, he couldn't take his eyes off the bundle in the basket, keeping one hand on her little warm body, the other hand fixed to his wine. Charity's mother looked at him, she smiled too, moving her hand a little closer to Remus's leg and she caught her finger on his trousers, though he didn't seem to notice. He was too entranced by the baby, his little girl.

"You'll have to go back to school soon." he said, apparently thinking of other things and not just about his daughter as he looked at her, "She can't go with you, she'll have to stay with me, here, or at Hogwarts, though now I've a baby to care for, she'll probably stay with me here, I won't go back to Hogwarts to stay, just to teach, the commute isn't all that bad, worth it... for her."  
>"That's sweet of you, do let me see her though, won't you?" she asked, he nodded.<br>"I'll let you see her, don't worry, she needs her milk doesn't she?" he looked over his shoulder to her, smiling and then he noticed her finger near his leg. He observed it a moment, and he took her hand in his, turning it into a handshake. "I'm sorry, Astoria, I'm so so sorry, you've got a soft spot for me, you're very kind, loving, caring, beautiful... nothing like a Slytherin I'd like to add, but I'm sorry, I'm your teacher, this was a sad sad mistake, she was a lovechild, I did like you, but you're a student, this happened as I got drunk, it wasn't meant to, I'm sorry." Tears filled Astoria Greengrass's hazel eyes, Remus hugged her, she sobbed.  
>"But... but I love you." she said.<br>"And I'm sorry." he said, "I really am very sorry, but I just can't." he sighed, feeling tears fill his eyes too. "She's so beautiful, she's ours, she'll always have that connection, we will too." he said, "I'll be your best friend, but not your husband." he explained, she nodded, pulling back and shaking his hand.


End file.
